West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-11-25


proyerb that it is always "darkest
just before day." One day last week
we tried a little stratagem to over
come this inconvenience, but we re-
gret to announce its total failure.
We suggested to the city council to
leave to us the regulation of the
lamp nearest to us-that we had an
excellent time-p piece which we set
every morning by the butchers
wagon, and which we therefore knew
to be always correct. But they were
obdurate and insisted on setting our
light by their own standard. We
once knew an Irishman who surVl
we'd 4 terrible epidemic of cholera
that ragged on the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal on which he was then
employed, and he ascribed his es-
cape tn his REGULAR HABITS, for at
the breaking out of the disease he
cot drunk and so continued until
the plague had vanished. Now be
it known that WE pride in the UNI
FoRMrrY of OUR life, and it is with
evil foreboding we regard every
thing calculated to break the even
tenor of our long established usages.
Then what on earth are we to do
next year, when all the candidates
approach us with such cordiality
and remind us that their great
erandfathers had to fly from Ireland
for rebelling againt English oppres-
sion! Are we to abandon abruptly
those ardent admirers of Robert
Emmett, Wolfe Tone and Patrick
Sarsfield on the flimsy pretext of II
danger of breaking our old bones in
the darkness. When the veteran
politician rubicund of nose AID red
client of garlic and bug-juice seizes
the opportunity to convince and our
coat collar to detain us, are we to
cut short his eloquence and tear
loose from his endearments on the
plea that it is only while the lamp
holds out to burn a belated Bohe'
milan can return. By the way, since
the late elections there has been q
dead calm ir the political atmos-
ehere. which foreruns and indicates,
we suppose, the cyclone of next year.
We have holy horror of, leap-years,
not because we are afraid of being
besieged by the ladies, but on &C
coun. of the Presidential contest
and the intolerable bore of never
coasing political discussions. We
will therefore volunteer, in advance,
the ample admission that the candi-
date of our side is a thief, and that
he has served at least one term in
some penitentiary-that he allowed
his venerable parents to die in an
almshouse while he was rolling in
ill gotten wealth, and that he has
defrauded any number of widows
and orphans. We are willing to
concede all this and more too, and
we hereby notify our friends of the
other side that they need not waste
any arguments on US, for We are
fully convinced of the mans utter
depravity and his entire unfitness
for the exalted position to which he
is aiming. But will this save our
dexter arm from being dislocated
by the vehement oscillations to
which it will be subjected by our
many friends who are willing to i'm
molate themselves for their country
by filling, at heavy sacrifice of
time, money and feeling, some State
or county office. We fear not, and,
in consequence, we have been of late
relieving our better half of much Of
her accustomed work by going for
water and strengthening cur feeble
muscle by practicing on the pump
handle. But if we cannot hinder
the hand shaking we may save them
an unnecessary waste of mind and
strain of conscience by assuring
them that we are already aware Of
their descent from a long line Of
Macs and Os and of the astounding
gallantry with which one of their
fOrefathers, at the head OF a body of
Wexford pike-men, charged on a
solid square of British at the battle
of Vinegar Hill or New Ross. We
enter no protest, however, against
the kissing of our babies and our
being told how much they resemble
us, for these compliments are always
in order, and there is no year or
season in which they are ill-timed
or disagreeable.
On Thursday night last Mr.. Chas.
Davies of this place, but now Of
Washington City, delivered very
interesting lecture on The beauties
of Tom Moo'c before a crowded
house at Storc College. No man is
better calcula ed to appreciate the
spirit of Erin's immortal bard than
Mr.. Davies, for he is himself over
flowing With the sparkling wit and
tender pathos that characterize so
eminently the works of his illustri-
Gus countryman, and no man can
give his thoughts more eloquent ex-
preston than our former townsman.
While Tom Moore is far from being
our favorite poet, We fully acknowl-
edge the deep Indebtedness to him of
every lover Of the Emerald Isle, and
we recognize in him one of the extra